Biography
Celebrating nearly three decades of transformative music-making, the GRAMMY®-winning and four-time nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and an evolution of the wind quintet. Known for their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and impactful outreach, they have inspired audiences of all ages around the globe.
Imani Winds’ repertoire bridges the traditional and the contemporary, featuring core chamber works, reimagined arrangements, and newly commissioned pieces by both renowned and rising composers. Their programming reflects the urgency and diversity of our times, amplifying stories and voices too often left unheard.
Their 2024 release, BeLonging, a collaboration with composer Andy Akiho exploring the issue of mass incarceration, earned a 2025 GRAMMY® nomination. Other recent highlights include a double quintet by Arturo Sandoval featuring Boston Brass; Jessie Montgomery’s work inspired by her great-grandfather’s migration north; and Carlos Simon’s tribute to African American icons. These works are part of the ensemble’s ongoing Legacy Commissioning Project, encompassing dozens of world premieres.
Now in their 29th touring season, Imani Winds regularly appears on major chamber music series and at leading performing arts centers and summer festivals, including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Chamber Music Northwest, Banff Centre, and Chautauqua Institution. Internationally, their reach extends across Asia, Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Education is central to Imani Winds’ mission. Appointed in 2021 as the Curtis Institute of Music’s first ever Faculty Wind Quintet, they also lead residencies and masterclasses nationwide, reaching thousands of students annually at institutions such as the University of Chicago, Eastman School of Music, and Duke University.
In 2010, they launched the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, an acclaimed summer program nurturing the next generation of professional musicians through mentorship, masterclasses, and entrepreneurial training. In 2019, they deepened their mission by founding the Imani Winds Foundation, followed by the creation of Imani Winds Media, a record label spotlighting artists of color. Its first release, Jeff Scott’s Passion for Bach and Coltrane, won a GRAMMY® in 2024.
Imani Winds’ deep connection to jazz is reflected in collaborations with legends such as Wayne Shorter, Paquito D’Rivera, and Jason Moran. Their multidisciplinary project Josephine Baker: A Life of Le Jazz Hot! featuring jazz vocalist René Marie earned rave reviews in cities across the U.S.
Their 2021 album Bruits (Bright Shiny Things) was nominated for a 2022 GRAMMY® Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. Gramophone praised the ensemble’s “hot rapport [that] churns with conviction throughout.”
With recordings on Koch, Naxos, Blue Note, and Warner Classics, including a celebrated arrangement of The Rite of Spring and their 2006 GRAMMY®-nominated album The Classical Underground, Imani Winds is frequently featured on NPR, BBC, SiriusXM, and in publications such as The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
One of their most meaningful honors is a permanent installation in the classical music section of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a fitting tribute to their enduring impact on the American musical landscape.
09/2025 Updated
Musicians
